Thinking about getting the family some gas masks. Probably the British S10 (opinions?). Will this fit a child?

Now i read that the filters are only any good for 10hrs, can you please confirm?

When i get the mask can i leave the filter on it until required, or is its life 10hrs from opening the packet?

How do you change the filter whilst contaminants are still present?

How do you consume food and drink in a contaminated zone?

Thanks.....

Filters range in hours for how long they are good, some are max 3 hours...
As with a 10 hour life, thats problably under free air conditions and not enclosed in a structure where contaminates can build up leaving more residue on the filters...
Now about your filters, make sure they are NEW, that doesn't mean new in package sealed up, they have a shelf life, many are 20 years and too many of the masks and filters on the market these days are out of date and garbager, the adhesives that hold it together and the basic integrity of the mask can be degraded with time alone...
Filters may also become toxic themselves after expiry date, such as chromium particle poisoning...
Ask how old the masks and filters are before purchasing...Also keep in mind that some filters were manufactured before a said chemical was even invented so it will offer no protection...
Israeli m-15 masks/child masks definatly ask as these are more than likely 20-30 years old, same with the filters...
Finnish masks are so outdated they are just a convo piece...They don't even use NATO standard filters...
om10 German/Czech masks are outdated too, I have a few in my collection and the filter dates are marked 01/87, out of date for NBC but may protect against CS or tear gases...
Russian aardvark masks are collection piece only...Same, I have in a collection only, will never use this POS...
Theres a Canadian one that will fall apart in your hand...30,000 on the market they say...
etc...etc...etc...
Ask the seller for dates on your masks your thinking of buying...
AS for drinking, a tube and canteen plug are usually supplied with the mask...Eating, I would leave the hot zone if I were you...Or get a chemical tent...

I went to NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) weapons school in the US Army. People should know there are two types of chemical weapons: persistent and non-persistent. Most chemical attacks are non-persistent because the enemy intends to attack and then seize ground. These chemicals are only deadly for around 15 minutes. Persistent weapons are designed to be deadly for a few days to deny an area. Either way, you're going to be wearing a gas mask to get out of the area ASAP, so a 10 hour filter is more than enough. If it's just CS/tear gas, any old mask will protect you over and over.

A scenario where you are sitting in an enclosed area with a high concentration of persistent agent is extremely unlikely. Your exposed skin would be destroyed and you might die anyways. The purpose of a gas mask is to allow you precious time to keep breathing and exit the area, so masks should be readily available and you should practice putting them on quickly.

I'm not sure, but I think the British S10 Gas mask has a port for a water canteen at the side. I think it has to be a certain type of canteen though.
hxxp://www.jesseshunting.com/gas-masks.html#s10
Second from the bottom.